Machine for slitting the margins of shoe uppers



0d. 21, 1952 J, GUDGER 2,614,277

MACHINE FOR SLITTING TH E MARGINS OF SHOE UPPERS Filed Jan. 9, 1952 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 J. GUDGER Oct. 21, 1952 MACHINE FOR SLITTING THE MARGINS SHOE UPPERS I 2 SI IEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Jan. 9, 1952 Inventor Jesse Qudger Patented Oct. 21, 1952 MACHINE FOR SLITTING THEMARGINS OF SHOE UPPERLS Jesse Gudger, Leicester, England, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J.,ga corporation of New Jersey Application January 9, 1952, Serial No. 2651651 In Great Britain February 1, 1951 8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to machines for slitting the margins of shoe uppers to prepare the uppers'for lasting, and is herein shown as applied to a machine constructed mainly as disclosed in an earlier United States application of mine, which issued as Patent No. 2,585,931, granted February-l9, 1952. It isto be understood, however, that in various novel aspects the invention is not limited. to this illustrative embodiment.

The machine shown in the above-mentioned application is a machine for forming a plurality of slits in the margin of the toeends-of uppers after the uppers have been mounted on lasts and have been subjected to the usual pulling-over operation and, it maybe; to the usual sidelasting operation beyond their toe-end portions. The'machine is provided with a pair of feed rolls which grip the margin of the toe end of the upper between them and feed it intermittently in a direction lengthwise of its edge and with a knife which is operatedintermittently to slit the margin of the upper in time relation to the movements of the feed rolls. When the toe end ofthe upper includes a plurality of layers of upper materials, the slits made by the knife extend through all the layers.

It has been found that in the manufactureof shoes having such multi-ply uppers improved results may sometimes be obtained in the toelasting operation if, in addition to the slitting of the margin of the upper, the portions of the inner layer of the upper materials between the slits be removed prior to lasting. The present invention accordingly provides means for accomplishing this result. In the construction herein shown a stationary upper-trimming knife is mounted in such relation to the margin of the upper that as the latter is fed by the feed rolls the knife detaches from the inner layer of the upper materials the portions of that layer extending between successive slits. The operation of the machine is herein illustrated with reference to the toe end of an upper consisting of an outer layer, a toe box and a lining, the trimming knife acting as above described on the lining.

The novel features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and thereafter pointed outin the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in right-hand side elevation ofa portion of the'machine to which the invention is herein shown asapplied, a shoe being shown in a position assumed in the course of'the upperslitting operation;

Fig. 2'is mainly a plan view of a 'por-t'ionof the structure shown in Fig. l, with the shoe omitted and the upper-slitting knife in its retracted posi- Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view in right hand side elevation of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. l, with the shoe omitted:

Fig. 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Fig, '3, showing the parts inoperative relation, to an upper; and

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the toe-end'p'on tion of a shoe after the-toe-end of the upper has been operated upon by the machine.

As more fully disclosed in the above-mentioned application, the machine has a multi-parthead casting I supported on the upperend of a column 3. For supporting the marginal portion of the toe end of the upper in the upper-siittingop'eration there is provided a shear blockB mounted as hereinafter described and havinga substantially horizontal top upper-supporting surface 1, a downwardly curved upper-supporting surface 9, and an inclined plane"upper supportingsuri face 10 extending from the surface! to thesu r face 9, the two surfaces I and. lo'meeting atba shearing edge ll (Fig. 2) .on the block; When a shoe is presented to the machine the upper will have been pulled over the last in'th'e usual manner and, as herein illustrated, may have been secured beyond its toe portion in side-lasted relation to an insole on the last. The pulling-over tack. at the extreme end of the toe will have been removed and the margin of the toe end of the upper will extend generally heightwise oi the last except in locations adjacent to the portions. of the margin already secured to the insolejin overlapping relation to the bottom face thereof at the sides of the shoe bottom.

The operator presents the shoe with the mars gin of the toe end of the upper overlying the shear block 5 and with the toe end of the insole in engagement with an upwardly and. downs wardly extending front face of a. shoe rest. l3 which, by'thuspositioning the shoe, limits the depth to which the slits formed in-the margin of the upper will extend inwardly from the ed e of the upper. This shoe rest, in the construction herein shown, consists simply of a platej mounted as hereinafter described. Locatedat the rear of the shoe rest is the above-mentioned shear block 5 and also a lower feed rollflil fast on the front end of a shaft I! which is somewhat inclined rearwardly and downwardly. This-shaft is journaled in bearings in a block!!!v which is secured to a plate 22 by bolts fllextending. through vertical slots in the plate. Thepl'ate 22 is secured to the head casting l, and the block I9 has secured to it the shear block 5. The roll I5 is somewhat frusto-conical in form, and the shaft I1 is connected by a universal coupling i2 to another similarly inclined shaft l4. Another feed roll I6 is fast on the front end of a shaft it also somewhat inclined rearwardly and downwardly, this shaft being journaled in a block 20 mounted for limited upward and downward swinging movements on a pin 26 in the plate 22. A spring 2| connected at one end to a tension adjusting screw (not shown) and at its other end to an arm 23 of a lever pivotally mounted between its ends on a stud 25 in the plate 22 tends to move the roll I6 downwardly toward the roll I5, the other arm of this lever being connected to the block 20 by a pin 21 extending from the block through a slot in the plate 22 and into a slot in the end of the arm. Contact of the two feed rolls with each other when there is no work in the machine is prevented by a stop (not shown). To permitthe margin of the upper to be introduced between the rolls the arm 23 is connected by a link 28 to a treadle 29 by depression of which the roll l6 may be swung upwardly away from the roll l5. To prevent the rolls from slipping on the upper their peripheral surfaces are serrated. I

The shafts H and |8 are arranged to be driven respectively by shafts 3| and 33, the shaft 3| being connected by a universal coupling 34 to the rear end of the shaft l4 and the shaft 33 being connected by a universal coupling (not shown) to the rear end of the shaft l8. The shafts 3| and 33 are connected together to rotate at the same speed in opposite directions by gears 35 and 31. As explained in the previously mentioned application, the shaft 33 is rotated intermittently by mechanism not herein shown to feed the margin of the upper over the shear block 5. The feed roll I5 is located adjacent to the left-hand side of the shear block (Fig. 4), and the top upper-supporting surface I of the shear block is in a plane substantially tangential to the peripheral surface of the roll.

For slitting the margin of the upper the machine is provided with an oscillatory knife 39 having a cutting edge 4| (Fig. 2) which cooperates with the shearing edge I on the shear block toform a series of slits a (Fig. 5) in the margin of the upper. The shearing edge and the path of movement of the knife are in such relation to the margin of the upper as to form slits extending obliquely through the margin from one side thereof to the other side and further arranged relatively to the margin as explained in the above-mentioned application. The knife 39 is clamped on one arm 45 of a two-armed lever 45, 41 pivotally mounted for swinging movements about a vertical stud 49 secured in a bracket 5| which is faston the head casting I. As further explained in the above-mentioned application, the arm 41 is operated by mechanism not herein shown in time relation to the feeding movements of the feed rolls to cause the knife to slit the margin of the upper between successive feeding movements of the rolls. To minimize any tendency for the knife to spring upwardly away from the shear block 5 there is provided a roll 55 mounted on a block 51 which is secured to a bracket 59 on the previously mentioned bracket The roll bears against the upper surface of the knife-carrying arm 45 in the upper-slitting operation.

The marginal portion of the upper is clamped against the curved upper-engaging face 9 of the shear block 5 to hold it firmly in each upperslitting operation by a clamping member 6| having a slightly serrated upper-engaging face curved complementally to the face 9. This clamping member comprises a forwardly extending arm of a two-armed lever pivotally mounted on a vertical stud on a bracket 61 secured to the plate 22. This lever has a rearwardly extending arm 69 through a transverse bore in which extends one end portion of a rod 1|. A compression spring 73 mounted on this rod between the arm 69 and a collar 15 fast on the rod serves as yielding means through which the clamp member 6| is pressed against the margin of the upper when the rod is moved toward the right as viewed from the front of the machine. Nuts 11 on the end of the rod move the clamping member reversely to release the margin of the upper when the rod is moved in the opposite direction. The rod H is thus operated by the arm 41 of the knife-operating lever, the lefthand end of the rod being pivotally connected to this arm by a stud 19. The parts are so arranged and proportioned that the clamping of the upper takes place just prior to the engagement of the cutting edge of the knife 39 with the upper. The portion of the margin of the upper on which the knife acts is thus held securely against displacement by the knife in the upper-slitting operation.

The shear block 5 and the feed roll |5 may be adjusted as a unit in upward and downward directions relatively to the knife 39, after the loosening of the bolts 24, by means of a setscrew 8| threaded in a portion of the head casting and engaging the lower face of the block IS. The setscrew is locked in adjusted position by means of a locknut 83, the bolts 24 being tightened again after the adjustment of the block.

In using'the machine the operator, after having removed the end pulling-over tack, presents the shoe to the machine with the toe end of the insole in engagement with the front face of the shoe rest l3 and with the portion of the margin of the upper which is adjacent to the portion thereof already secured to the insole at the left hand side of the shoe bottom extending rearwardly between the feed rolls I5 and 6, the upper feed roll I6 having been raised by depression of the treadle 29. It will be understood that the heel end of the shoe thus presented extends toward the left and that portions of the margin of the upper at the right of thefeed rolls extend over the faces I, 9 and IU of theshear block 5, the upper-clamping member 6| being in its retracted position. Having thus presented the shoe the operator releases the treadle 29 to cause the feed rolls to grip the margin of the upper and thereafter depresses a second clutch-actuating treadle (not ation and released after each slitting operation.

As the upper is fed by the feed rolls the operator continues to support the shoe in his hands, the feeding of the upper causing the h'eelend of the shoe to swing downwardly and toward the right and thereafter upwardly near the end of the upper-slitting operation." After the last slit has been made in the upper near the'portion already (Fig. 3).

secured to the insole at theright-hand side ofthe shoe bottom the operator releases the clutchactuating treadle to cause the machine to-come to a stop and thereafter'depr-esses the treadle 29 to move the feed roll l6 upwardly and thus to release the margin of the upper.

The construction of the machine as thus far described is, except as noted, substantially as disclosed in the previously mentioned application and the parts are identified by the same reference characters as in that application. For purposes of this invention the machine is further provided with a stationary upper-trimming knife 85 (Figs. 3 and 4) secured by screws BTto a spacing block 89 which by means not herein shown is secured to the previously mentioned block [-9. The heads of the screws 81'are sunk in recesses in the shoe rest plate l3 and the screws: securethis plate also to the-block 89, the knife 85 being clamped between the plate and the block. The

screws extend through slots 91 in the knife to permit the knife to be adjusted upwardly and downwardly. The plate 13 has a recess in its rear side to provide clearance for the front end of the lower feed roll iii. A curved portion of the knife 85 lies in a peripheral groove 93 in the lower feed roll [5 and is provided with a cutting edge 95 As herein illustrated, the toe end of the upper operated upon comprises an outer layer b of upper materials, a middle layer 0 which consists of a toe box, and an inner layer d consisting of a lining; and the knife 85 is so adjusted relatively to the feed rolls as to out only through the lining in response to the feeding movements of the upper and thus to detach from the lining the portions thereof located between the slits made by the upper-slitting knife 39. It will be understood that the portion of the edge of the knife thus acting on the lining extends lengthwise of the edge of the portion of the upper between the feed rolls. The cutting edge of the knife is spaced rearwardly from the insole-engaging face of the shoe rest plate [3 about es of an inch, so that the lining is trimmed at such a distance from the edge of the insole as to leave a very narrow margin thereof to overlap the bottom face of the insole in the toe-lasting operation. The upper feed roll l6 also has a peripheral groove 91 therein to prevent it from engaging the edge of the knife when there is no work in the machine and the feed rolls are in close proximity to each other.

It will thus be seen that, in addition tothe means for forming slits in the marginal portion of the toe end of the upper to facilitate the lasting of that portion of the upper, the invention provides means for detaching from the margin of the upper materials portions of the materials which are not needed in the lasting of the toe end of the shoe, thus contributing to the production of a lasted toe which is free from undesirable pleats or wrinkles in the margin of the upper and from any substantial unevenness in the thickness of the materials overlying the insole.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for slitting the margins of shoe uppers, means for feeding the margin of the toe end of a multi-ply upper intermittently in a direction lengthwise of its edge, an upper-slitting knife mounted for reciprocatory movements in a path intersecting the margin of the upper from its edge inwardly to form slits in all the layers of the upper materials in time relation to the 6 feeding thereof, and means for-detaching from the innerlayer of the upper materials theportions of that layer between the slits;-

12'. In a machine for slitting-the margins ofshoe uppers, means for feeding the margin of the) toe end of a multi-ply upper intermittently in a direction lengthwise of its edge, an upperslitting knife mounted for reciprocatory move ments in a path intersecting" the margin-of the upper from itsedgeinwardly to form slits inall the layers of the upper materials in time relation to the feeding thereof, and a trimming knife arranged to detach from the inner layer of the.

upper materials the portions of that layer between the slits in response to thefeeding of the margin of the upper.

3. In a machine for slitting the margins of shoe uppers, a pair of feed rolls arranged to feed the margin of the toe end of a multi-ply upper intermittently in a direction lengthwise of its edge, an upper-slitting knife mounted for reciprocatory movements in a path intersecting the margin of the upper from its edge inwardly to form slits in all the layers of the upper materials in time relation to the feeding thereof, and a stationary trimming knife arranged to detach from the inner'layer of the upper materials the portions of that layer between the slits in response to the feeding of the margin of the upper by the feed rolls.

4. In a machine for slitting the margins of shoe uppers, a pair of feed rolls arranged to feed the margin of the toe end of a multi-ply upper intermittently in a direction lengthwise of its edge, an upper-slitting knife mounted for reciprocatory movements in a path intersecting the margin of the upper from its edge inwardly to form slits in all the layers of the upper materials in time relation to the feeding thereof, one of said feed rolls having an annular groove therein, and a trimming knife positioned in said groove and arranged to detach from the inner layer of the upper materials the portions of that layer between the slits in response to the feeding of the margin of the upper by the feed rolls.

5. In a machine for slitting the margins of shoe uppers, means for engaging the marginal portion of the toe end of the previously pulledover multi-ply upper of a shoe mounted on a last and for feeding the margin of the upper intermittently in a direction lengthwise of its edge while similarly moving the last, an upperslitting knife mounted for reciprocatory movements in a path intersecting the margin of the upper from its edge inwardly to form slits in all the layers of the upper materials between feeding movements thereof, a shoe rest arranged to engage the bottom of the toe end of the shoe to position the margin of the toe end of the upper relatively to the path of movement of said knife, and means for detaching from the inner layer of the upper materials the portions of that layer between the slits.

6. In a machine for slitting the margins of shoe uppers, means for engaging the marginal portion of the toe end of the previously pulledover multi-ply upper of a shoe mounted on a last and for feeding the margin of the upper intermittently in a direction lengthwise of its edge while similarly moving the last, an upperslitting knife mounted for reciprocatory movements in a path intersecting the margin of the upper from its edge inwardly to form slits in all the layers of the upper materials between feeding movements thereof, a shoe rest arranged to engage the bottom of the toe end of the shoe.

to position the margin of the toe end of the upper relatively to the path of movement of said knife, and a trimming knife having a cutting edge arranged to extend lengthwise of the edge of the upper and to detach from the inner layer of the upper materials the portions of that layer between the slits in response to the feeding of the margin of the upper.

'7. In a machine for slitting the margins of shoe uppers, a pair of feed rolls for engaging respectively the opposite sides of the marginal portion of the toe end of the previously pulledover multi-ply upper of a shoe mounted on a last and for feeding the margin of the upper intermittently in a direction lengthwise of its edge while similarly moving the last, an upperslitting knife mounted for reciprooatory movements in a path intersecting the margin of the upper from its edge inwardly to form slits in all the layers of the upper materials between feeding movements thereof, a shoe rest arranged to engage the bottom of the toe end of the shoe to position the margin of the toe end of the upper relatively to the path of movement of said knife, and a trimming knife arranged to detach from the inner layer of the upper materials the portions of that layer between the slits in response to the feeding of the margin of the upper by the feed rolls.

8. In a machine for slitting the margins of shoe uppers, a pair of feed rolls for engaging respectively the opposite sides of the marginal portion of the toe end of the previously pulledover multi-ply upper of a shoe mounted on a last and for feedin the margin of the upper intermittently in a direction lengthwise of its edge while similarly moving the last, an upper-slitting knife mounted for reciprocatory movements in a. path intersecting the margin of the upper from its edge inwardly to form slits in all the layers of the upper materials between feeding movements thereof, a shoe rest arranged to engage the bottom of the toe end of the shoe to position the margin of the toe end of the upper relatively to the path of movement of said knife, one of said feed rolls having an annular groove therein,- and a trimming knife positioned in said groove and having a cutting edge arranged relatively to said shoe rest to detach from the inner layer of the upper materials the portions of that layer between the slits in response to the feeding of the margin of the upper by the feed rolls.

JESSE GUDGER.

No references cited. 

